Spartans Defeat Amherst; Advance to Sweet 16

Nov 15, 2009

YORK, PA –
The York College men’s soccer team is headed to the Sweet 16
after defeating Amherst College 2-0 in the second round of the NCAA
Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Graham Field. With the win, the
second-ranked Spartans improve to 17-1-4 on the season while the
Lord Jeffs finish their 2009 campaign with a 12-4-1 mark.

After a convincing 6-0
victory over Cazenovia College on Saturday, the Spartans picked up
where they left off. After pacing the offense yesterday,
Antonio Bua (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg)
again found the back of the net as he scored the first goal for the
Spartans in the match’s 30th minute. Bua’s
tally would prove to be the game-winner, his second such score in
two games. Kemal Nuspahic (East Petersburg,
Pa./Warwick) carried the ball to the top of box and
slipped it to the Spartan rookie who was able to tuck it away for
the goal in the right-side netting. With that tally Bua now has
seven goals on the season including three in two days.

As was the case in
York’s first-round game, they found themselves possessing the
ball for the majority of the contest. The early strategy for the
Lord Jeff’s was to pack the box defensively in attempt to
frustrate the Spartan attackers. The York side however, was able to
keep their composure, stick to their own game strategy, and execute
effectively.

Senior All-American
Jon Ports (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh), a key
contributor in keeping possession for the Spartans, was once again
man marked for the entirety of the game, as the visitors attempted
to negate his effectiveness.

“Teams are going to
play the way they want to play and we are going to continue to play
the way we want to play,” Spartan Head Coach Mark Ludwig
said. “The game of soccer is like a puzzle and today we
solved that puzzle fairly early.”

York scored their second
goal of the game early in the second half as Nuspahic again created
a dangerous chance for the Spartans. The sophomore forward
collected the ball near the top of the box and opened up a lane for
himself by beating multiple defenders. Nuspahic carried the ball
directly through the middle of the field, before neatly tucking it
past Amherst goalkeeper, Lennard Kovacs.

Compared to the first
half, the remainder of the game was exceptionally more free flowing
as the Lord Jeff’s were forced to pull out of their defensive
tactic in attempt to get on the board. Doing so it created more
chances for the Spartans as the Green and White played numerous
long balls to their forwards and created several more dangerous
opportunities.

York has adapted to their
opponents changing their tactics to match their style, but it does
not appear as if the Spartans will change their game plan
progressing in the tournament. York will continue to look for a
complete team effort from their players as they move
forward.

“We are making the
progress we are looking for,” Ludwig said. “The guys
are starting to believe what we have said. It doesn’t matter
what player you are on the team, it’s about our program.
It’s not about one player.”

The Spartans now await the
NCAA’s decision as to which institution will host next
weekend’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds. That location is
scheduled for release by Monday afternoon. Please visit
www.ycpspartans.com for updated tournament
information.